Social Chain Group buys sport social media network

The Social Chain Group has expanded with the acquisition of The Football Republic (TFR), a network of sport social media channels, from FremantleMedia.

The undisclosed deal will see TFR's brands such as The Full Time Devils become a part of Media Chain, the Social Chain Group's social media publishing house.

TFR was launched in 2015 by Shotglass Media, the digital arm of FremantleMedia UK. It provides informative and entertaining football content and has enjoyed exponential growth across all platforms, with three million followers across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Each month, TFR generates up to 35 million cross-platform video views and has a monthly Facebook reach of 100 million. A network of wider fan channels, including Chelsea Fan Channel, Spurred On and Blue Moon Rising, have also been acquired.

"Thanks to their highly innovative work, TFR have grown from strength to strength in a short period of time to become one of the most respected names in the industry," said Media Chain's commercial director Matthew Breen.

The acquisition will increase Media Chain's sport network reach by more than 2.5 million, taking the company’s global sport network to over 17 million followers, adding to the well-known SPORF network.

Breen added: "Naturally, they're a perfect fit for Media Chain, which already operates SPORF. We're incredibly excited to welcome them into the family."

Kat Hebden, managing director, Shotglass Media, said: "We launched The Football Republic because we saw a gap in the market for football entertainment content that served a young, digital savvy audience.

"We are incredibly proud of the brand and network we have built, in particular its incredible reach and influence and we believe Media Chain will provide a great home for these communities to continue to flourish."